This invention relates generally to manure spreaders and, in particular, to a floor mounting arrangement for manure spreaders.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,205,792 to Horst et al discloses an agricultural machine typically referred to as a box type manure spreader with a box for holding and transporting manure. This box has a floor made up of a plurality of individual boards extending lengthwise thereof. A conveyor consisting of slats extending transversely of the floor between a pair of spaced apart endless chains serves to move manure along the floor toward an open end of the box where a distributor mechanism is mounted. The distributor mechanism distributes the manure onto a field as the spreader is pulled by a tractor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,976 to Rae discloses another box type manure spreader having a hydraulically operated, push-off wall instead of a conveyor for moving manure along the floor of the box.
In manure spreaders of the box type, the individual boards forming the floor have usually been made of a wooden material. Wooden boards function well in normal conditions but they are vulnerable to damage from foreign objects. It is also difficult to consistently manufacture high quality wooden boards. Recently, plastic material has been used in forming floor boards for box type manure spreaders. Although plastic floor boards overcome the afore-mentioned problems encountered with wooden floor boards, they have a relatively high coefficient of expansion which results in a significant amount of expansion and contraction, especially in the lengthwise direction of the floor boards. If plastic floor boards are securely fastened at their ends, this expansion and contraction causes them to buckle resulting in an uneven surface for the slats of the conveyor to travel across.